A Simple Lack of Fun

[Theonate]

Bloodthirst and Second Wind were the only healing I needed 25-30 on Mrd. I really don't get how people are having such a hard time(not trying to insult anyone who is) but if anything from 20 on everything has been faster and more enjoyable.

[Cycloptichorn]

You know those crabs will lottery into 29's eventually and link each other, resulting in death? I'm very familiar with that entire area, and have already tried it since patch.

Only results in death if you don't know what you are doing.

It sounds to me like the new patch makes it slightly more difficult to solo, requiring greater levels of care and skill from players. I don't have a problem with that.

The days of happily whacking away at mobs solo, with no fear of death, are over; and good riddance!

[Aidir]

I don't have any trouble soloing leves with mobs my same level even if they link up to 3 at level 36 pugilist. All I need is Bloodbath, Second Wind and Cure.

[ChiefCurrahee]

I have limited solo experiences since the update.
But on my archer lv 44. I killed a same level monkey and received 344 exp. I was blown away. The fight was more difficult than it would have been in 1.18 but the reward was that much greater.

Now I'm thinking if you want to solo, you either fight stuff @ your level or below. Try fighting a mob 1-5 levels below you, the exp would be comparable to what it was in 1.18 killing mobs higher rank than you.

Of course you're not going to kill mobs 10 levels above you, thats where you form parties.

[Mugiwara]

So let me get this straight...

An MMO, also known as a Massively Multiplayer Online game, has to have solo content? Really? Then why the hell are you in an MMO to begin with? Seriously, people lost the meaning of MMO because of how they were evolved, and that evolution that some dude mentioned is really not a good thing...

more like devolve, since every other game copies WoW(about a ten year old game),and for some reason claim its an evolution of MMO gaming...

[Xoo]

I have limited solo experiences since the update.
But on my archer lv 44. I killed a same level monkey and received 344 exp. I was blown away. The fight was more difficult than it would have been in 1.18 but the reward was that much greater.

Now I'm thinking if you want to solo, you either fight stuff @ your level or below. Try fighting a mob 1-5 levels below you, the exp would be comparable to what it was in 1.18 killing mobs higher rank than you.

Of course you're not going to kill mobs 10 levels above you, thats where you form parties.

My complaint is the link system, compounded by the typical levels of the mobs being a 4-level spread, which if you go in high you receive utter crap EXP, and if you go in low be prepared for an unnecessarily long fight. I honestly don't see how you people are getting around links without having to run and reset enmity, hoping you don't die before you reach the territory boundary. Mobs' link range is massive and unpredictable.

[Seif]

It's hard to pinpoint but there is a weird disconnected feeling to what you're doing on the gamepad and what happens on screen. It might be the lag but I think it might also have a lot to do with the fact that the skills are still incredibly same-y across all classes and aside from tweaking the stats I think they should also add a lot of really basic class exclusive skills too.

The enemy weaknesses and strengths also could be cranked up to eleven because a lot of the time it feels like you don't need any knowledge of the enemy or surroundings when you are grinding. Maybe the way they hinted at bringing back some enemy AI in some form will at least help in this matter.

When it really comes down to it by now they definitely have changed the frames of the game but the picture itself has been left intact and they need to start dealing with the big issues.

This might also be because I'm a controller player and the controls in battle and in menus are still just as bad as they were in the launch. In recent post they said "they'll look into it" so all we can do is wait.

I tried the game after the patch but I feel like if I keep playing too much at this point then I'd easily get tired of it to the point where I couldn't give it another chance when XIV eventually deserves it.

I really want to play this game for years but honestly it took XI 3 years to get good (and honestly to me that game is still amazing to me). It will take time but if SE starts working on content and big issues without using a lot of short-cuts like they've done up to this point (which is sort of understandable given how time has been against them) I'm sure this game will get good. We just have to remember that the community is tired of cheap solutions but at the same time you can't do quality content without time.

I understand the player frustration since I feel it too but as a game developer I fully understand the situation at the other end of the line too.

[Malakhim]

I haven't gotten up to the higher-level camps(but I remember checking around the kobold camps before and they were packed tighter than sardines in a can), but from what I've seen thus far in Limsa, enemy levels usually only have a one-level difference between them, and the only things I've seen link thus far are mobs that aggro anyway.

And once again, the game should have soloable content and for the most part it does, but there should ALWAYS be more incentives to party. You want the big boy XP? grab a group of people and go nuts.

[neizero]

1.19 has introduced some new issues, but overall the game is 100x better than it was on release.

[Isanien]

I really don't want this to turn out as a full-blown rant, but I suppose some things can't be helped. I started this game at release, dealt with and accepted every negative aspect within at that time, and every one since. But, I feel that this patch is the breaking point.

Before Oct. 4th, I really felt I had the option of doing things my way, solo, without the help of anyone else if necessary. Given, this was a more gradual approach in progression opposed to grouping up, still, I could solo efficiently for acceptable losses. Always before leaving Ul'dah I would attempt to form a group to grind with. I would put up recruit, shout for 30min or so, ask every one of my five linkshells, send tells to every person online in my friend's list of 140 people. Fifty percent of the time I could get people to go out. The remainder was all solo.

Come October 5th, I can no longer solo for anything near worthwhile EXP, and I feel it directly related to the linking system. My targets are always ranks above me because I enjoy the challenge of seeing what I can chain for the best EXP. If I try this today, what I get is a large, compact grouping of target mobs who range in level from 25, which is also my own, to level 29. I can defeat the Lv29's with difficulty, but certainly not when they are suddenly accompanied by 4 others.

I heard someone in my LS say that the new system now requires skill and planning, and the linking mobs make it more difficult. I chuckled, because at that moment I was in a successful group killing crabs in La Noscea, and found it to be more hack-and-slash than ever before. Mobs all over the place, damage all over the place, and most importantly, enmity flying everywhere. No skill, no difficulty, just spam.

It makes me wonder why we have all of these abilities that we gain as our character progresses if we only need AoE weaponskills, Curaga and Siphon MP.

Yup. This pretty much sums up how I feel right now. I think encouraging partying is a good thing, but I would like to have the choice to solo as well. When you feel forced to do something the game feels really bitter.